Bills Digest No. 174 2004–05
Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Bill 2005
WARNING:
This Digest was prepared for debate. It reflects the legislation as introduced
and does not canvass subsequent amendments. This Digest does not have
any official legal status. Other sources should be consulted to determine
the subsequent official status of the Bill.
CONTENTS
Passage History
Purpose
Background
Main Provisions
Endnotes
Contact Officer & Copyright Details
Passage History
Indigenous
Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Bill 2005
Date Introduced: 25 May 2005
House:
House of Representatives
Portfolio:
Education, Science and Training
Commencement:
Royal Assent
The purpose
of this Bill is to amend the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance)
Act 2000 (‘the Act’) to:
-
Appropriate additional funding for the Indigenous Tutorial
Assistance Scheme (ITAS)
-
Transfer funding for independent vocational education
and training providers to appropriations under the Skilling Australia’s
Workforce Bill 2005.
Until 2000, Commonwealth assistance to Indigenous education
was provided through the Indigenous Education (Supplementary Assistance)
Act 1989. Although the Indigenous Education (Supplementary Assistance)
Act 1989 was not repealed, the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance)
Act 2000 now provides the funding and implements the Government’s
policy. The Act provides appropriations for the Indigenous Education Strategic
Initiatives Programme (IESIP) to assist Indigenous students in government
and non-government schools, including small independent Indigenous schools.
Funding may go to all education sectors from pre-school to tertiary. It
includes ‘Away From Base’ funding for ABSTUDY students attending compulsory
course activities and funding for special projects. Funding is provided
through agreements made with education providers.
The Bill will decrease the appropriation under section
14A of the Act by a net $3.7 million over 2006 to 2008. The Bill transfers
$10.9 m to be spent under the Skilling Australia’s Workforce Bill 2005.(1)
The transfer will come from funds currently provided to four independent
vocational education and training providers: the Institute for Aboriginal
Development (IAD), Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative College, Aboriginal
Dance Theatre Redfern and Tauondi Incorporated.
The four providers will now be required to compete for
funding in a joint funding pool under a proposed new Commonwealth State
funding agreement provided through the Skilling Australia’s Workforce
Bill 2005.(2)
The Bill also includes new spending of $7.2 m which is
fully funded from savings in other areas of the Department of Education,
Science and Training. The new spending will fund a measure announced in
the 2005 budget: the ‘Remote Indigenous Students – tutorial support for
students leaving their communities’, which will cost $8.7 million over
the four years to 2008-09, or $7.2 m to 2008.(3)
The net effect of the new spending and the transfer to
the Skilling Australia’s Workforce Bill 2005 is a reduction of $3.7m.
The ‘Remote Indigenous Students – tutorial support for
students leaving their communities’ initiative will provide tutorial support
for mainly secondary Indigenous students who move from their remote communities
to undertake schooling. These 2,040 students will receive up to four hours
tuition per week in their first year away from their remote communities.
It complements two initiatives – the Indigenous Youth Leadership Programme
and the Indigenous Youth Mobility Programme – funded in the Indigenous
Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Bill 2004.(4) This
Bill continues the Government’s emphasis on providing a greater weighting
of resources towards Indigenous students in remote areas who the Government
regards to be of greatest disadvantage.
-
Skilling
Australia's Workforce Bill 2005, Bills Digest no.160, 2004–05
-
This proposal will follow the abolition of the Australian National
Training Authority (ANTA) and the associated funding arrangements
which were provided for under the ANTA Agreement. The abolition of
ANTA is covered by the Skilling Australia’s Workforce (Repeal and
Transitional Provisions) Bill 2005.
-
Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone, ‘Indigenous Budget Measure 2: Remote
Indigenous Students – tutorial support for students leaving their
communities’ Fact Sheet Budget 2005; also Budget Paper No.2, Table
5 ‘Addressing Indigenous Needs’, Budget Papers 2005.
-
Indigenous
Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Bill 2004 Bills Digest no.
57, 2004–05.
Coral Dow
1 June 2005
Bills Digest Service
Information and Research Services
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using information available at the time of production. The views expressed
do not reflect an official position of the Information and Research Service,
nor do they constitute professional legal opinion.
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ISSN 1328-8091
© Commonwealth of Australia 2005
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Published by the Parliamentary Library, 2005.
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